Reconfiguring an electronic message to effect an enhanced notification

Abstract

An electronic message may be reconfigured to effect an enhanced notification using an input interface to receive at least one electronic message created by or on behalf of a message source for delivery to an intended recipient. A matching engine determines whether the electronic message corresponds to a predetermined definition of an enhanced notification. An enhancement engine reconfigures the electronic message to the enhanced notification if stored information related to the intended recipient indicates that the intended recipient is subscribed to receive the enhanced notification. Reconfiguring the electronic message may include reconfiguring the message to provide special handling, routing or presentation.

1 . A notification system that reconfigures an electronic message to effect an enhanced notification, the system comprising:
 an input interface configured to receive at least one electronic message created by or on behalf of a message source for delivery to an intended recipient;   a matching engine configured to determine whether the electronic message corresponds to a predetermined definition of an enhanced notification;   a user information store configured to store information related to the intended recipient; and   an enhancement engine configured to reconfigure the electronic message to the enhanced notification if the information of the user information store indicates that the intended recipient is subscribed to receive the enhanced notification.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the user information store comprises a subscriber engine configured to store subscriber information associated with the intended recipient. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the subscriber engine is configured further to provide the intended recipient with an opportunity to subscribe to the enhanced notification if the intended recipient is not subscribed already. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the user information store comprises presence information related to the intended recipient. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the presence information includes information related to online presence of the intended recipient at a time at which the enhancement engine is preparing to provide the enhanced notification to the intended recipient. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the information related to the current online presence of the intended recipient includes information indicating a delivery mechanism associated with the online presence of the intended recipient at a time at which the enhancement engine is preparing to provide the enhanced notification to the intended recipient. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the presence information includes information indicating that the intended recipient physically is present within a predefined range of one or more of the delivery mechanisms potentially available to the intended recipient at a time at which the enhancement engine is preparing to provide the enhanced notification to the intended recipient. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined definition of the enhanced notification comprises a system definition. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the predetermined definition of the enhanced notification further comprises a preference of the intended recipient. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined definition of the enhanced notification comprises a data structure configured to accommodate a system definition and a preference of the intended recipient. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the enhanced notification includes a cascaded delivery definition. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the cascaded delivery definition lists several delivery mechanisms, and wherein the enhancement engine is configured further to use the presence information to select a delivery mechanism from within the cascaded delivery definition that appears available to provide the enhanced notification to the intended recipient without significant delay. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the cascaded delivery definition includes an instant message delivery mechanism. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the cascaded delivery definition includes an email delivery mechanism. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the enhanced notification includes a lifespan. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the lifespan comprises a time period during which information of the enhanced notification reasonably may be expected usefully to inform an action of the intended recipient. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the enhancement engine is configured further to vacate the enhanced notification provided to the intended recipient when the intended recipient does not access the enhanced notification during the lifespan. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the enhancement engine is configured further to provide a plurality of instances of the enhanced notification to the intended recipient based on the lifespan and to sense that an instance of the enhanced notification has been accessed by the intended recipient, and, in response, to vacate an instance of the enhanced notification not yet accessed by the intended recipient. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the enhanced notification is configured to provide the intended recipient with access to the electronic message by interacting with an aspect of the enhanced notification. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the system is further configured to update or eliminate a related instance of the enhanced notification based on the user interacting with the enhanced notification. 
     
     
         21 .- 49 . (canceled)